Xbox 360 Tops PS3 in Japan

Andrew · 11-11-2007, 02:27 PM

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Microsoft is having one impressive week over in Japan. In addition to grabbing the second slot in the Media Create top 50 sales charts with Ace Combat 6, the 360 sold 17,673 hardware units in one week alone. With the new sales, the system has at last crossed the 500,000 sold mark, which is something that the original Xbox never did.

But more than that, this is what we're sure will keep people talking. The 17,673 hardware units were enough for the 360 to beat both the PS2 and PS3! Yes, the 360 is now the second hottest console in Japan (next to the Wii).

Topping the Media Create hardware charts for the week of 10/29 to 11/4 is, expectedly, the DS Lite, whose 78,552 units beat second place PSP's 59,714. Wii comes in next with 37,617 units, a jump of about 10,000 from last week, likely fueled by Super Mario Galaxy's release.

The PS3 is actually pretty close to the 360, at 17,434 units. Given that Media Create estimates its numbers based off a sampling of stores, it's possible that the PS3 did actually beat the 360 this week. We'll never know for sure. What is pretty clear, however, is that the 360 beat the PS2, which only managed 10,209 units.

Strong 360 sales were likely influenced by Microsoft's 5,000 yen price drop and the release of Ace Combat 6. The 360 also saw a flood of budget releases for popular titles like Idol Master and Earth Defense Force.

The true test will be if the 360 can maintain these impressive numbers next week. Koei is bringing Dynasty Warriors 6 to the system on Sunday, which should help drive system sales.

The PS3, meanwhile, will have that as well, along with the heavily marketed 39,980 yen 40 gigabyte system and one of those few foreign titles that actually commands an audience in Japan, Ratchet & Clank.

It's doubtful that the 360 will beat the PS3 in sales next week, but we presume Microsoft wouldn't mind just staying in five digits for two weeks in a row.

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